Game apparatus.



H. S. GOWLES.

GAME APPARATUS.

' APPLICATION FILED SEPTA, 1912.

Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

UNITED STATES HARRY s. GOWLES, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25,1913.

Application filed September 4, 1912. Serial No. 718,530.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I HARRY S. CowLEs, a citizen of the United States, residingat Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in game apparatus, and in the embodiment of the invention, herein set forth, it has been designed especially for use in playing the gameof base ball.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a block, having a great number of facets grouped around the surface of the solid in endless series and bearing characters designating various plays in the game of baseball. In the form shown,.there are three different forms of facets and they are.

arranged around the block in such a manner that the chances for the block to lodge upon any particular facet or face (when rolled from the hand or a dice box) varies in accordance with the size and=shape of the facet and its position upon the block.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The, invention is clearly illustrated in the drawing furnished herewith, of which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a game apparatus embodying one form of my improvement, Fig. 2 is a top view thereof, Fig. 3 is a view looking at the bottom thereof, .Fig. 1 is a developed view of the surface of the device, and Fig. 5 is a developed view showing a modification. Referring to said drawing 10 represents a block constructed of any suitable material, and whose surface is formed with26 facets or faces. The facets or faces are divided into three main groupsa, b, c, and in addition thereto, there are two end facets designated by the reference numerals 11,12. Group, a, is arranged in the form of an endless series extending around the block in planes running longitudinally of a vertical axis arr-y, and each facet 13, of said group a. is practically square in shape as clearly shown in Fig. 1. There are eight facets in the group a, Extending away from the upper and lower edges of the facets 13. of the group a, (see Fig. 1) are facets 14. 15 of the groups 7), 0, each facet of which lies at an angle of about forty five degrees to a corresponding facet in the group a. Said facets 14, 15, are

in the form of trapezoids, and incline toward two points in the vertical axis wy. The end facets 11, 12, extend at right angles to the axis :c-y, and are substantially octagonal in shape, the marginal edges of said end facets and corners formed between said facets 1]., 12, and l-l, 15, being preferably rounded off, as shown at 16, for the purpose of decreasing the size of said octagonal facets, and preferably the area of the facet 11, is made somewhat less than the area of the face 12. In determining the sha of the block, I use a perfect sphere an cut the facets from the spherical surface, leaving the corners of each of the facets at the surface of the sphere, except that in forming the end facets 11, 12, the corners 16, are

forth. All of said facets or faces bear designating characters or symbols, representing different plays in the game of baseball or any other game that it is desired to play ment of characters and in said arrangement the characters or symbols designate various plays in the game of base-ball; 3B, indicating three base hit; 113, one base hit; F, foul; F0, foulout; 0, out; SB, stolen base; SH, sacrifice hit; BB, base on balls; 00, double out;

SQ, sky out or in other words when the batter is put out by reason of oneof the players catching a fly and HR, home run. Several of these symbols are duplicated, but in each instance they designate the same play.

It is to be observed that the most infrequent plays are represented by characters on the end faces of the block, the characters HR (home run) being placed upon the site the smaller end facets 11) and the characters 3B (third base) bein placed upon the smaller end facet 11, opposite end facet 12.) The block is so designed that the end facets are the least likely to fall uppermost when the block is thrown or rolled. Plays as one base (113), two bases (2B) foul (F), foul out (F0), out (0), stolen base (SB), andother plays which occur more frequently are placed on the facets embraced in the groups 6, c, which are more likely to turn uppermost than the end facets. and among said characters are certain ones representing the plays, which ocrounded off slightly as hereinbefore set.

with this device. Fig. 4 shows one arrange.

2B, two bases; HB, hitflwith the ball;

largerend facet 12, (that is, the one oppo-.

our more frequently than others in the game, and these characters are placed in the group a which are the ones most likely to turn uppermost when the block is thrown or rolled.-

'In playing the game of baseball, one block is suflicient for that purpose, and said block is rolled upon a table or other support, in the manner of ordinary dice, either using a dice box or not, as is desired, andeach time that the block is rolled, the players observe the character on.the uppermost facet, when the block comes to a position of rest, and

make a record thereof. To obtain the most enjoyment, it is preferable for the players to draw a diamond representing the home fact that the more frequent plays are placed upon the square and trapezoidal facets, (which are arranged in groups of endless series) and the infrequent plays are placed upon th-e end facets, the chances for the facets designating common plays, to turn up are greater than the chances for the facets, designating the more infrequent plays. There is moreof a tendency for the block to roll along the group a, or along the group b, c, and stop on one of the facets of said groups than to stop oneither of the end faces. Moreover the particular arrangement of designating characters shown has been arrived at by me after a long series of experiments and trials. The result is that with this arrangement of characters, a game U where the desideratum is to spell words.

of baseball may be.played in which the scoreis kept low and yet many of the interesting plays are brought out, thereby making the device exceedingly entertaining and enjoyable.

In the form shown in Fig. 5, the letters of the alphabet are placed upon the facets,

there being 26 facets on the block, and ,these letters may be used in place of the'characters shown in the preferred form, to designate plays in the game of baseball, or to designate the plays of any other game, or

the device may be used in playing games The vowels are placed upon the middle group of facets and letters C, R, are placed upon the remaining two facets of the group. The remaining consonants, except X, Z, are placed on the other two groups of facets, and letter X placed on one end facet and the letter Z on the other end facet. These letters arranged in the order shown may be used to designate the plays as do the symbols shown in Fig. 4. For instance Z mayrdesignate a three base hit; B one base hit; F foul; H foul out; K out, etc.

I am aware that heretofore, many attempts have been made to employ a block, having a plurality of faces or facets, bearing designatingcharacters, but in most of each of these devices, the block has but two sets of difierently shaped facets, so that the chances for the block to lodge upon any facet is practically the same, but the distinguishing feature in the present device consists in the fact that not only are there three groups of facets, one group of which has different sized and shaped facets than the other two, but in addition thereto there are two end facets of different relative size, and of' a shape different from any of the other facets, making four differently shaped facets of differing areas, whereby the possibility of the block lodging on those faces quent plays, are remote, whereas the possibilities of the block lodging'in such manner plays are greater.

ters Patent:

' 1. A game apparatus, comprising a many sided block having two end facets and at least three groups of other facets, the end facets bearing characters which designate infrequent plays in a game, and the other facets bearing characters which designate more frequent plays in the game, each group of facets beingarranged in the form of an endless series extending around the block, and the facets of each group being similar in shape but of a difierent geometrical figure than the facets of the next adjacent group the block is thrown or rolled, the chances for the end facets to turn uppermost are less than the chances for the other facets.

having eight similar rectangular facets 'arranged in asingle group around one fl-XIS of the block, two other groups of trapezoidal the first named group toward a common point on said axis, and two octagonal end facets joining the smaller ends of the trapezoidal facets, all of said facets being substantially equi-distant from the center of plays in the game of base-ball; the characters on the rectangular facets designating common and frequent plays; the characters on the trapezoidal facets designating less frequent plays; and the characters on the end facets designating the most. infrequent plays.

bearing the characters designating infreas to indicate the lesser and more frequent 2. A game apparatus comprising a blocln the block and bearing characters designating 3. A game apparatus, comprising a block I claim as new and desire to secure by Letor those of the end facets, whereby when facets, each group extending obliquely from having three adjacent groups of Iacetsarranged around a common axis, the central grou of facets bearing characters designatmg requent plays in the game of base-ball, the facets of the two-outer groups being arranged to incline toward two points on said axis and bearing characters designating less frequent plays in said game, said block having end facets meeting said inclined facetsxand one of said facets being larger than the other and both bearing characters designating infrequent plays in said game.

4. A game apparatus comprlsing a many sided block, havlng at least three different kinds of facets arranged, with respect to each other, in such manner that when the block is thrown or rolled, the chances are less for one kind of facet to fall uppermost than the other two, and the chances are less for one kind of the latter two to fall uppermost than the other, those facets which are most likely to fall uppermost being marked with characters indicating those plays which are common and frequent in a game; those facets which are less likely to fall uppermost bearing characters indicating less frequentplays and those facets which are least likely to fall uppermost bearing characters designating the most infrequent plays.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, this 30th day of Au ust, 1912.

HARRY s. COWLES.

Witnesses:

FANNIE F. RICHARDS, CHARLES C. SHERVEY. 

